Even though they have a winning record and are coming off a huge win, the Detroit Lions still have plenty of work to do. Their defense has been borderline atrocious in coverage, and they can't afford to have that unit hold the offense back again.
The bye week should give head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes more than enough time to evaluate everything and assess the primary areas of need. And while they may not make an addition with the trade deadline still nearly a month away, they can still dump ailing players.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. has shown signs of promise starting on the boundary, and with Rock Ya-Sin hitting the bench after a brutal start to the season, perhaps the Lions will consider sending him elsewhere during their bye week.
The Detroit Lions should part ways with Rock Ya-Sin
To be fair, Rock Ya-Sin was never expected to be a starter. He was a depth piece behind Terrion Arnold, but he was pretty much thrown into the fire after the team was forced to move on from their first-round pick.
Ya-Sin struggled mightily in that expanded role, giving up 13 catches on 19 targets (68.4 percent) for 96 yards, a touchdown, and an opposing passer rating of 97.7. Notably, Pro Football Focus gave him a 40.8 coverage grade, ranking 96th out of 104 eligible cornerbacks.
The Lions were pretty much stuck with him, but Rakestraw's surge has finally made him expendable. They'll probably stick with rookie Keith Abney II at safety for now, but they can move him back outside when Kerby Joseph gets back on the field, giving them a solid backup for Rakestraw or D.J. Reed.
Granted, it's not like teams should be lining up to make a run at the guy who couldn't get on the field despite being part of the worst pass defense in football. That said, there's always a strong market for cornerbacks, and a desperate team might want to add depth at the position.
Sometimes, addition by subtraction can also help a team. The Lions should continue to assess their roster and keep all options on the table to add more help for defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, and there's no need to hold onto a player on an expiring deal after they've already shown that they're better off without him.
Regardless of what Campbell and Holmes have said, the Lions should work the phones heavily ahead of the November 10 trade deadline. And if they can get something (anything) for one of their weakest links before he hits free agency, even better.
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